Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 161: Shadows of Winter

It was a casual observation Rocco voiced without much thought, but Laxus cut him off mid-sentence.

When Rocco turned to look at him, Laxuswore a troubled expression, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Rocco, that’s not how it works. This is a long-term battle. The mastermind didn’t start moving just in the past six months. They’ve been at it for years—ever since the incident with Georgio. The enemy has been active all along."

"Ah! You’re right!"

"The real fight is just beginning. That’s why the two great families joined forces—to counter them. I’m sure the enemy is already preparing their plans to fight us head-on."

Laxus picked up another chocolate cookie and held it up to Rocco’s mouth.

Grateful, Rocco took a bite and listened intently to Laxus’s explanation.

"We don’t know when they’ll make their big move—it could be years from now. They said this is the ’selection period’ for allies, so the real battle might come much later than we expect."

"Hmm..."

"But in the meantime, they’ll definitely take smaller shots at us. And the most likely target will be you, Rocco. So for now, just stay quietly by my side."

Laxus’s calm, matter-of-fact explanation left no room for argument.

Before Rocco could even think of protesting, Laxus reached over and patted his head.

In that instant, Rocco’s decision was practically made for him.

"I-I see..."

"Yeah, exactly. It’s going to be fine. It’s not like things will stay this way forever. Once we’ve taken care of the mastermind, we can think about everything else—about us—afterward, right?"

It was true—Rocco realized he had no place interfering in the mafia’s plans, especially as a complete liability.

Naturally, he couldn’t complain about the strategies everyone else devised.

If his and Laxus’s relationship was part of the plan to confront the mastermind, then Rocco had nothing left to say.

All he could do was wait quietly until everything was resolved.

Just as Laxus said, once it was all over, this strange relationship would likely be reset.

At that point, Rocco could ensure things returned to the way they should be—Sylas and Laxus’s romance progressing as planned.

Even though the storyline had strayed significantly from the original, as long as it ultimately returned to the intended flow, everything would be fine.

Yes, that seemed perfectly manageable!

"All right. Got it," Rocco said with a firm nod.

"Thank you for understanding! Now, Rocco, let’s put the serious talk behind us and enjoy some snacks together. How about trying a madeleine next?"

Laxus pushed aside the empty plate of chocolate cookies and pulled forward a plate of madeleines.

The delightful aroma wafted through the air, and Rocco’s eyes sparkled at the sight.

When Laxus held up one of the treats to his mouth, Rocco eagerly bit into it without hesitation.

"Delicious! Madeleine is so good!"

"Glad to hear it," Laxus replied, smiling warmly as he patted Rocco’s head.

The soothing sensation of Laxus’s hand stroking his head made Rocco feel drowsy.

As his head started to nod, Laxus gently wrapped him in a blanket and laid him down on the sofa.

Oh, there’s even a pillow!

Wait... that’s Laxus’s lap.

A natural lap pillow?

Well, it’s comfortable, so no complaints, Rocco thought to himself as he settled in.

"Heh... so cute. Too easy, almost scarily so," Laxus murmured softly, his voice carrying a hint of mischief.

"Mm... mmm..." Rocco mumbled sleepily, unable to make out Laxus’s words.

"You won’t escape from me... Even if you wanted to, you’d have to do it now, or it’ll be too late later," Laxus said, his fingers brushing against Rocco’s lips as he spoke.

"Better to get rid of the nuisances quickly so we can hurry up and get married. The Di Malventos are the biggest obstacle, but... since Rocco would be sad, I’ll leave them alone," Laxus added, almost to himself.

Under the warm afternoon sunlight, Rocco fell asleep on Laxus’s lap.

There was a deep sense of comfort in Laxus’s presence, enough to ensure a peaceful and restful nap.

Still... something stirred uneasily in Rocco’s chest, a faint premonition he couldn’t quite place.

However, as Laxus’s soothing pats on his head and cheeks continued, Rocco brushed the feeling aside, deciding to stop overthinking.

With that, he drifted into the land of dreams, murmuring softly as he went.

After the night of the soirée, the dynamics of the underworld underwent a significant shift.

The most notable change was undoubtedly the rumor that Rocco and Laxus were madly in love.

Society seemed to believe that the two were engaged, solidifying the alliance between their two powerful families.

However, the truth was far less dramatic—there was no written agreement, no official engagement.

On the surface, their frequent visits to each other’s estates might have seemed suggestive, but in reality, Rocco and Laxus were just friends.

Rocco wished people would stop teasing them about it.

After all, Laxus was destined to marry Sylas.

Given how much the original story had already diverged, Rocco couldn’t help but worry about how things would return to their intended course.

Still, he chose to trust in some abstract force of fate or narrative inevitability and decided to go with the flow.

That said, the whole "Laxus and Rocco pretend-to-be-close strategy" didn’t seem to be yielding any tangible results.

Thus, the days continued peacefully, unremarkable but calm.

Now, with winter approaching, Rocco once again found himself visiting the Del Fiore estate at Laxus’s invitation.

"Rocco, Rocco," Laxus called.

"Huh?" Rocco snapped out of his thoughts.

"Oh, you’re back. Are you okay? You seemed really out of it..."

Lost in thoughts about the original storyline and various other concerns, Rocco realized he’d been zoning out.

Startled back to reality, he found himself face-to-face with Laxus’s incredibly handsome visage, as striking as ever.

Rocco who is embarrassed quickly tried to shake off his jumbled thoughts and focus on the present situation.

"Ah... Sorry, Laxus. I wasn’t paying attention in the middle of our conversation, was I?"

"No, it’s fine. But, Rocco, are you feeling tired? I called your name a few times without getting a response, so I was a little worried."